Delicious desserts
by Lora Kael
Summary: Fluff. A little story about the special friendship between the old wardmates and the things they do to help each other.


AN: Just a bit of friendship fluff after I got inspired by my Christmas Eve morning trip to the forest. Happy New Year!

* * *

Will smiled to himself, listening to the sounds coming from the other side of the door. He could hear Jenny's clear commands ringing out to her kitchen assistants even though he was still a few steps away. Well, they would soon have some extra tasks, thanks to Will.  
He grinned, then carefully wiped the grin away before opening the door and peering in at the organised chaos that was Jenny's restaurant's kitchen. As expected Jenny was in the middle of everything; tasting, giving directions, and adding her own touch to all the food being prepared.

"You look busy, Jenny," he said as a way of greeting. Several of the nearest kitchen workers jumped when they noticed his sudden appearance. Nobody has noticed the door opening and closing again in the midst of the food preparations. He even saw one did a quick sign to ward off evil out of the corner of his eye. Good, Will thought. Keep them on their toes.

"Will! What a surprise to see you," Jenny said beaming. Unlike many of her workers she was not superstitious and did not buy into the belief that Rangers could use magic; she had known Will and Gilan for too long to believe such silly superstitions, but she still had great respect for them and what they did. She added a bit of spice to a dish as she passed it going over to Will.

Jenny rubbed her hands together. "What have you got for me today? I take it that bag is not just for show?"

Will smiled at her. "You're right; it started thawing again yesterday and I thought these winter apples might spoil if they weren't harvested and put to use. And I knew you'd have plenty of ideas for what to do with a sack full of them," he added with a twinkle in his eyes handing over the bag.

Jenny opened the bag and took a deep sniff to get the scent of the apples.

"Oh, these smell lovely and excellent for cooking, Will. Want to keep a few for yourself?" Jenny asked.

Will shook his head. "There's still a few hanging on the branches; I can always go out and pick the rest of them."

"Tug might appreciate that," Jenny said smiling.

Will laughed. "Oh, yes. There's that, too."

"Well, I've got enough here to do a few different things, but one thing's for certain; I'm going to be making apple pie today. Would you and Alyss care to come taste it later?"

"I think we will, Jenny," Will replied.

"Great! Why don't you come by in... say, about one and a half hour? Then I'll have pie and coffee ready for you."

"That sounds good, Jenny. We'll be here then." Will nodded at her before turning back towards the door and he heard Jenny quickly start to issue new orders to her employees. From what he could hear pie wouldn't be the only thing made this afternoon.

§

Will smiled to himself as he saw the cabin between the trees and the smoke coming from the chimney. That meant Alyss was home.

Will dismounted Tug and lead him into the stable, next to Alyss's horse, where he quickly took off his saddle and bridle. Tug shook his head and looked at Will almost accusingly. _We should have kept those apples for ourselves._

Will smiled at him and stroked his neck. "I did keep some for you, Tug," he said and brought one forth from a hidden pocket. "Besides there's still more to be had and it's too far from the village for most people to want to go there in this cold."

Tug happily munched on the apple, crunching it between his teeth, while Will rubbed him down and brushes his coat. With one last rub behind his ear Will then turned around and walked to the cabin, happy to be home.

"You're home early," Alyss smiled at him.

"So are you," Will countered with his own smile.

Alyss shrugged. "I'm mostly doing paperwork today, and it's easier to get that done here than in the castle where there's more noise and people coming to disturb you."

"A Ranger's cottage does have its advantages, doesn't it?" Will said with some amusement as he unclasped his cloak and hung it on its peg, then proceeded to add his quiver and bow to their places.

"It does," Alyss agreed, leaning back in her chair. "So, what's the reason for you being back so soon?"

"I wanted to see my wife?" Will said as he crossed the room and then leaned down to kiss her.

"Mmm, nice one, but you already said you didn't actually expect me to be home yet. Try again."

Will grinned and decided he had teased her enough. "I harvested the winter apples from the western forest and gave a sack full to Jenny."

"That must have made her happy," Alyss commented with a smile.

"Very happy. In fact she's invited us both to come by for apple pie and coffee in about an hour or so."

"Oh, really? And did you plan for that when you gave her all those apples?" Alyss raised her eyebrows at him.

Will grinned as he plopped down into the chair opposite her. "Not really, but I did hope we might get something in return; Jenny's an expert chef, after all."

Alyss smiled slightly. Will and Jenny had set up a trading relationship a few years ago, where Will would sometimes harvest or gather fruit, vegetables, mushrooms, herbs and other stuff that was far from the village and in exchange get some of the resulting food and conservatives from her. It was a relationship that benefited them both, since Will knew where to find everything and Jenny knew how to best prepare it, and Alyss just got to enjoy the results of their labour.

"Well, in that case I better finish up here so we can get going."

"Don't worry, we still have plenty of time," Will told her. "But I'll be reading a few reports from the other fiefs while you finish your paperwork," he said standing back up. Then he grabbed the most recent stack he had gotten and went to one of the more comfortable chairs to read.

Alyss smiled while she looked at him settling in, already focused on his work, then turned back to her own. Life with Will was just as it should be, she reflected.

§

"Alyss! Will! So happy you could come," Jenny greeted them after they closed the door behind them. The restaurant had a couple other guests, but at this time of day it was still mostly empty. People would come in for dinner later, but the rumour of apple pie hadn't yet spread about the village, luring more people to come in early.

"We are happy to be invited, Jenny," Alyss greeted her warmly and gave her a hug.

"What Alyss said; it's always a pleasure to see you," Will agreed as Jenny gave him a hug, too.

"Come on, sit down, both of you," Jenny said gesturing to a table near the fire. They both sat down gratefully and Alyss took off her winter cloak. Will just pushed his back and leaned his bow against the empty chair next to him knowing Jenny would take the seat closest to the kitchen entrance.

Jenny beamed at both of them. "I'll have the coffee out for you right away and then the pie." She looked at one of the waiters preparing tables for the evening. "Simon, coffee for my guests! And don't forget the honey!" Simon hurried to comply while Jenny gave them one last smile before she headed back into the kitchen herself.

A few moments later Simon returned with coffee for Alyss and Will and a small pot of honey, which he placed in the middle of the table. Will immediately added a dollop to his coffee and stirred it before taking a sip.

"Thank you, Simon," Alyss said, and he smiled and bowed gratefully to her.

"Always a pleasure to serve mistress Jenny's friends."

Soon after Jenny returned with three plates, each with a large piece of apple pie and whipped cream on top. She placed a plate in front of each of them before sitting down herself. "Dig in," she said cheerfully.

Alyss and Will quickly complied and for a moment there was silence as they just enjoyed the pie.

"This is great, Jenny! You have outdone yourself again," Will said.

"Truly," Alyss agreed.

Jenny beamed at them. "Well, I can't take all the credit for the greatness of this pie; those winter apples Will brought in were just perfect for this. I wouldn't mind having those all year round," she added a little wistfully.

"Afraid that's not possible, Jenny," Will said with a smile and took a sip of coffee.

"I know. So enjoy it while it lasts; you'll have to wait a whole 'nother year once this is done."

Alyss looked at her piece of pie. "Then I'm glad I got a large piece if I have to wait a whole year for another."

Jenny and Will laughed.

"You have already used all of them?" Will asked.

Jenny shook her head. "Of course not. I'm saving some for later, but I did make a round of apple pie for today plus jam and jelly. I count on the apples lasting a few weeks. And before you ask; I did prepare a pot of each preservative for you," she said with a wink at Will.

"Excellent," Will replied. "If I'm lucky it'll last all winter. Although Alyss might eat all the jam before then."

Alyss kicked him under the table. "I'll eat it? You're just as bad yourself, dear."

Will grinned at her, knowing she was teasing him back.

Jenny just smiled. There weren't many people who could keep up with Will, but Alyss was one of them. "I must say knowing a Ranger is rather practical; without Will I wouldn't get quite as interesting things to use in my kitchen or at least they wouldn't be as fresh. And I'd likely have to pay a whole lot more for some of it," she said scrunching up her nose.

Will chuckled. "Ah, well, as long as I get some of the resulting goodness I don't mind bringing you a few apples and mushrooms every now and then."

"I know. And I'm happy to share my food with you, Will," Jenny said warmly.

Alyss nodded thoughtfully. "I agree with you, Jenny; knowing a Ranger does have certain perks. And being married to one is even better," she said winking at her.

"Nice to hear that," Will said chuckling.

Jenny laughed, too, but didn't take the bait. She knew her friends were curious as to what was happening between her and Gilan, but for now that was between the two of them. Maybe some day that would change.

They talked lightly about everyday stuff while they finished their pie and coffee, which for Jenny most consisted of the daily running of her restaurant, Alyss the diplomatic missions and travelling around as a courier, and Will keeping an eye on the fief and dealing with trouble makers. As a result Will tended to have the best stories to tell, at least as far as Jenny and Alyss were concerned.

"Ah, that was great, Jenny. Thank you for the invite." Will leaned back contently, his stomach full of apple pie.

"We'll be happy to come any time you make another," Alyss agreed, winking at Jenny.

Jenny laughed. "I'm sure you would. And don't worry; I'll invite you again. But I also need paying guests."

"We could pay you –" Alyss began, but Jenny shook her head firmly.

"No. You are my friends and guests; I won't accept your money. And besides Will did the labour of bringing in the apples." She looked Alyss in the eye and she nodded her understanding. Jenny relaxed a little again. The issue of money did creep up every now and then, but so far Jenny had firmly said no every time. Will and Alyss only ate at the restaurant rarely and she was not in need of money. "At any rate, it's me who is in depth to you; paying someone to get me these apples would be far more expensive than serving you coffee and apple pie."

"But your baking is worth it, Jenny," Will said with a smile.

"Glad you agree," she replied with a smile. "Well, I'll get those preservatives for you now. As much as I like talking with you I have to get back to the kitchen and prepare for the evening rush."

"Of course," Alyss replied smoothly as Jenny got up and went into the kitchen. She refastened her cloak around her shoulders, while Will just picked up his bow. She mentally shook her head. Will didn't have to keep his cloak on, but he liked to whenever he was out and about, just as he would never go anywhere without both bow and knives, not even into Wensley village. But she did feel safer knowing that Will was always prepared for trouble no matter where or when it might show itself.

"Here you go," Jenny said as she returned with a small basket and handed it over to Will.

Will looked at the contents and raised an eyebrow at Jenny. "There looks to be a bit more than just the conservatives in here, Jen."

Jenny smiled. "True. I added in a dessert; apple crumble. It's supposed to be eaten cold, so it won't suffer from being taken outside. You can have that after dinner tonight."

"That sounds lovely, Jenny. Thank you." Alyss smiled warmly at her and gave her a hug.

"You're welcome. I hope you'll enjoy it."

"Oh, we most definitely will," Will promised. He hugged Jenny, too, while Alyss took over the basket. "You take care."

"Likewise."

Jenny smiled and gave them a little wave before they left the warmth of the restaurant and she returned to her kitchen.

§

"I must say this dessert is absolutely delicious," Alyss said savouring the taste.

"I wholeheartedly agree," Will replied. "Jenny knows how to turn simple ingredients into a masterpiece."

"I could get used to eating Jenny's food all the time, especially her desserts."

"What? Is mine not good enough?" Will gave her a hurt look.

Alyss smiled at him. "Oh, I love your cooking, Will, but Jenny is a master chef. You just can't compete with her."

Will sighed. "I know." Then he smiled at her. "And I agree; Jenny's cooking and baking really is something special. We're lucky to get to enjoy it."

Alyss reached out and took his hand. "And it's all thanks to you; we wouldn't be eating this delicious dessert right now if you hadn't gone out and plucked those apples for her."

"What comes around, goes around, as they say," Will said. He turned his hand so he could hold Alyss'.

"And right now that appears to be apples," Alyss said, a slight smile crossing her face.

"Apples and what you can make of them. Including delicious desserts."

For a moment they just smiled at each other, then they went back to enjoying the rest of their dessert, both silently agreeing Will's time and effort was worth it.


End file.
